A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

Photo: Courtesy Of Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

Photo: Courtesy Of Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

A group of architects at Rice University will unveil a new campus lounge around the large tree in the Rice School of Architecture's courtyard on Sept. 1, 2016.

Photo: Courtesy Of Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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The best heads around

Some of the most dramatic carvings can be seen just inside the main entrance at Lovett Hall’s Sallyport. Here, the heads of some of the world’s most prominent scholars can be found. There’s Louis Pasteur, the French chemist who helped create vaccines and pasteurization. There’s Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Galton and Christopher Columbus as well.

The heads are portrayed in a bed of snakes. That was a mistake. The sculptor Oswald J. Lassig, who did almost all the original carvings on the campus, carved the heads to portray Medusa, according to Preservation Houston’s Jim Parsons. The architect William Ward Watkin didn’t like that so Lassig had to go back and re-carve the heads into scientists. He wasn’t able to disguise the snakes he had already carved.

The columns of the Sallyport are carved to portray the four stages of college life: It starts with the face of the silly looking freshmen.

Goofy looking freshmen

The columns of the Sallyport are carved to portray the four stages of college life: It starts with the face of the silly looking freshmen.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Wise senior

It ends with the head of the wise and handsome graduate wearing his mortar board.

Wise senior

It ends with the head of the wise and handsome graduate wearing his mortar board.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Campus life in a nutshell

Carved into Lovett Hall are these three figures meant to represent typical campus life. The co-ed on the left is stared at by the student ignoring his book in the middle and the football player chasing after her on the right.

In the center of the Academic Quadrangle stands the statue and tomb of William Marsh Rice, a successful businessman. Rice left nearly his entire fortune to found the university in his will. However, the university was almost never built. Rice was murdered in his sleep by his valet at the instruction of his unscrupulous lawyer who had conspired to steal the money. Eventually the plot was uncovered and the lawyer was sentenced to death (and later pardoned) for the murder. While the old cliché “the butler did it” holds true, the valet was never charged as an accomplice to the murder and was released from jail upon the lawyer’s conviction.

For some mysterious reason, the owls that are on the back of his chair are of a style seen only on this statue and nowhere else.

Rice's exclusive owls

For some mysterious reason, the owls that are on the back of his chair are of a style seen only on this statue and nowhere else.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Lovett Hall cornerstone

You can’t even enter the academic quad without running into an erudite quote. This one comes from Eusebius of Caesarea: “’Rather,’ said Democritus, ‘would I discover the cause of one fact than become king of the Persians.’”

On the southern side of the Sallyport, this goddess raises up her arms. If you look closely you can see the words: “Love, beauty, joy and worship are forever building, unbuilding and rebuilding in each man’s soul.”

Along the columns and curved arches of the Sallyport, look closely and you’ll see floral carvings with squirrels, fish and birds. You’ll see elaborate depictions of a man with a ram, held up by two other men. Look even closer and you’ll realize there are no breaks in the carvings. They were all carved by hand, freeform after the marble blocks were put in place.

The owl is Rice University’s mascot and Athena’s symbol of wisdom and knowledge. The architects decorated the campus with them at every opportunity. The variations in design are fun to look for. We like to call these guys “pine-owl-ples”

These bronze owls in the original physics building, now Herzstein Hall, went missing in 1983. Antique dealers around the country were on the alert for them. When Dr. Stephen Baker offered a $500 reward for information leading to their recovery, he received an anonymous poem and riddle that led to their recovery. Two were found on the roof of Lovett Hall, and the other two were in the basement, according to Morehead.

This owl over the main entrance to Herzstein Hall serves as “a pigeon rookery,” according to Morehead. He calls it his favorite. The chisel marks that make the feathers are spectacular.

Another favorite owl

This owl over the main entrance to Herzstein Hall serves as “a pigeon rookery,” according to Morehead. He calls it his favorite. The chisel marks that make the feathers are spectacular.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Angry looking dolphin

The features on all the old buildings are incredible, but these door handles on Herzstein Hall are amazing. If you look closely, they’re supposed to be dolphins.

Angry looking dolphin

The features on all the old buildings are incredible, but these door handles on Herzstein Hall are amazing. If you look closely, they’re supposed to be dolphins.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Careful where you tell your secrets

Nestled in the old physics building are a pair of whispering niches. Secrets told on one side will be easily heard on the other.

Careful where you tell your secrets

Nestled in the old physics building are a pair of whispering niches. Secrets told on one side will be easily heard on the other.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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The Giotto cathedral tower in Italy

In the cloister connecting Lovett Hall with Herzstein Hall are these medallions that imitate the style found in Italy, according to Morehead. They represent, the shield of the state of Texas, agriculture, geography, literature, meteorology, sculpture and the shield of Rice Institute.

When the facade of Fondren Library was redone, the plaques depicting the development of writing were carefully moved to the new archways in front. Here, the Egyptians can be seen with the hieroglyphs. There are five plaques in all. If you look closely across the expanse of the entire building, you’ll notice they’re out of chronological order.

At the top of the chemistry building is this elaborate joke: it’s called Kircher’s enigma and was designed by alchemists to confuse observers and conceal a basic principle of alchemy. The first letter of each word in the outer ring spells “svlphvr” or sulphur. In the middle ring it spells “fixvm” and in the inner ring “est sol”. If you put this all together you get: “sulphur fixum est sol.” Still not sure what that means? It means “Fixed sulphur is synonymous with gold.” Rice students have quite the sense of humor.

On the corner of Keck Hall, in the chemistry department, inside jokes are carved forever into the columns. In this relief, architect William Ward Watkin who was tall and lanky, was carved into stone with architecture students bowing down to him.

On this column, a freshman chemistry student tries to extract poison from the dragon’s tooth with a Bunsen burner. Silly freshmen.

Chemistry 101

On this column, a freshman chemistry student tries to extract poison from the dragon’s tooth with a Bunsen burner. Silly freshmen.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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The two fates

According to Morehead, this column was originally supposed to depict the three fates, with Samuel Glenn McCann, the director of admissions, spinning the thread of knowledge; Harry Caldwell, the dean of the Institute, measuring by grades the thread of knowledge; and Dr. Radoslav Tsanoff, chairman of the Committee on Examinations and Standings, severing the academic thread with a pair of scissors.
But they didn’t leave enough room for all three fates, so only two made the final product: McCann and Caldwell.

In perhaps some of the funniest sculptures on campus, this set of terra cotta reliefs at Will Rice College were designed by William McVey. In this particular square from the series a broke and naked student sends a letter home asking for money.

Believe it or not, Rice was at one time, a force in college football. In fact, the well-known Heisman trophy was named after John William Heisman who coached at Rice from 1924 to 1927.

When football was king

Believe it or not, Rice was at one time, a force in college football. In fact, the well-known Heisman trophy was named after John William Heisman who coached at Rice from 1924 to 1927.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Penrose pattern

The back of the Brockman Hall for Physics is covered with the “Penrose pattern”. The pattern is named after the mathematician and physicist who was known for studying it: It is non-periodic and self-similar with a fivefold symmetry. Roger Penrose created a special tile with the pattern in 1974 and copyrighted it, then sued Kleenex quilted toilet paper for using it. The aperiodic pattern kept the toilet paper fluffy while on the roll.

If you look very closely at the capitals of these Baker College columns you can decipher the wisdom of Solomon.

Secret Bible verses

If you look very closely at the capitals of these Baker College columns you can decipher the wisdom of Solomon.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN , Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Everlasting light

On these, the lettering spells out: “I prayed and understanding was given me. I called upon God and the spirit of wisdom came into me. For wisdom is a breath of the power of God. She is the reflection of the everlasting light.”

On the side of the Anderson Biological Laboratories, bricks are scattered across the façade with images from the study of biology. From left to right and top to bottom: scorpion, DNA, jellyfish, moth, squid, earthworm, cell division and a trilobite. Campus lore holds that a bricklayer, unfamiliar with marine animals, installed a jellyfish brick upside-down. We went looking for it and couldn’t find it. If you know where it is, please send us a photo at photos@chron.com.

Not an architectural feature, but a fixture of the Rice campus is the friendly campus squirrels. The little guys even have their own Facebook page.

Friendly campus squirrel

Not an architectural feature, but a fixture of the Rice campus is the friendly campus squirrels. The little guys even have their own Facebook page.

Photo: JAY DRYDEN | Jaydrydenphoto.com

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Rice University to get a new flying-saucer-looking lounge on campus

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Houston's Rice University will have a new seating possibility coming to a campus courtyard soon and it looks a lot like a UFO landed around a tree.

The lounge was designed by Charled Renfro of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and is named by its benefactors, the Morris family, for late Rice alumnus Seth Irwin "SI" Morris and his wife, Susie, who died Aug. 19, 2016.